PTI

MUZAFFARPUR, Aug 3: A case was filed against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad here on Thursday for allegedly endangering lives of people by landing an IAF helicopter on a National Highway during an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Bihar.

The complaint was filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sanjay Kumar by advocate Sudhir Ojha, also a leader of the Lok Janshakti Party of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Lalu's ally in the UPA coalition at the Centre.

The magistrate directed Muzaffarpur's Superintendent of Police Ratan Sanjay to inquire into the matter and submit a report to him within a week.

Ojha, also a stringer for a local Hindi daily, claimed he and a few others were injured in the melee caused on Wednesday by the landing of the helicopter on NH 28 near Manihari village without persmission from the local administration.

Ojha, who said he was on his way to Samastipur on his motorcycle when the helicopter landed, claimed he fell and sustained bruises.

A case was filed under various sections of IPC, including 308 (attempted culpable homicide), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public highway), 283 (danger or obstruction in public way), 431 (mischief by injury to public road), 141 (unlawful assembly) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intent).

Ojha claimed the helicopter, which was also carrying Union Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and RJD general secretary Shyam Rajak, landed without permission on the highway even though there was no emergency.